Just Another Night - SP Halloween Special
by vcsaamaay
Summary: The group is coming together for a Halloween party at Gordon's estate and China has a sneaky surprise in store for them all.


Tanith and Valkyrie walked into the hall where Echo-Gordon was holding his grand Halloween party. Gordon was stood in the centre of the hall, where China Sorrows was crouched, drawing symbols out on the wooden floor with chalk. The large chandeliers were draped with artificial spider webs and the windows had cut up curtains covering them. The entrance leading up to the house was dark and dimly lit, where China had engraved symbols into the pavement, creating a low fog to surround the grounds and the house. Echo-Gordon had an artificial grave stone placed near the drive way, which read "Here lies the beloved Gordon Edgley. Please stay off the grass." Gordon found it highly amusing. Rotted pumpkins lit up by candles lined the drive, whilst the images of ghosts roamed the grounds.

China stood up and hovered her hand over the small circle of symbols as they illuminated, streams of blue light filling the hall. The dashes of colour rushed back into the symbols and the wooden floor flashed as it turned back, spreading out from the symbols. The black ran up the walls and across the ceiling and splashes of red hit the walls. Echo-Gordon was beaming.

"China, my dear, you've done a wonderful job." he said, taking her hand in his, gently kissing it. "Tonight is going to be marvellous."

"I hope it is." Valkyrie said from across the hall, her hands sliding into her pockets as she walked over to them. "I've been waiting for this night for ages."

"And finally, you're at a party that you're old enough to drink at." Tanith added. "But everything does look wonderful, Gordon." China rolled her eyes as Tanith showed no appreciation towards her for what she had contributed to the evenings party.

"As much as this pains me to say, I have something I would like to do for you both, and the dead men, not including Skulduggery." China said and Valkyrie frowned.

"Why not him?"

China grinned. "You'll see."

(...)

Tanith, Valkyrie and The Dead Men all stood in China's apartment, bickering between themselves. China appeared walking through the doorway from her library across the hall. She stood in front of them, her precious smile emerging on her lips. The others turned to her and she unfolded her arms. Her black hair was down behind her shoulders, revealing her grey, pinstripe trouser suit. Erskine looked around.

"Where's Skulduggery?" he asked. China ignored him.

"I was thinking the other day about this grand party and I had quite a brilliant idea. For me, that's usual, I know but this truly is marvellous. Since we all agreed to dressing up, I thought, why don't we all turn up as Skulduggery?" China smiled as the others frowned. "I can engrave temporary symbols onto each of you, and when you activate it, you will all look like him. It would be a wonderful trick to play on the old guy, don't you think?" The dead men all looked at each other before turning back to China.

"We're in." Ghastly said and China grinned.

(...)

The party was attended by many different sorcerers. Some Tanith didn't know, some she did, but most of them were old friends of Gordon's. Many of the sorcerers knew Tanith from the novel Gordon had based on her and she basked in her popularity with them. She stuck by Ghastly's side most of the night, her arm interlocked with his, keeping the prying male sorcerers off her tail. The men would mostly approach her when she wasn't stood with Ghastly, but he'd always walk over, sliding his arm around her waist; the men taking one glance at Ghastly and disappearing from sight. Tanith's phone beeped and she checked it, letting the others know that Valkyrie and Skulduggery were on their way. Most of the sorcerers parted from the centre of the hall, standing close to the walls, leaving only Tanith and the Dead Men in the centre of the room, their heads down.

The front door opened and in stepped Skulduggery and Valkyrie.

"Guys?" Skulduggery asked. They each tapped their symbols etched into their collarbones, and the facade of Skulduggery Pleasant flashed up over their heads; his attire covering their bodies. They each looked up at him and if he had a mouth, they were each sure he'd be smiling. Saracen looked around at his friends and frowned.

"Aren't any of you a little embarrassed that we've all turned up in the same outfit?" Skulduggery let his human facade flash up over his skull, revealing his deep brown eyes and hair, his skin looking perfect and precise. Tanith grinned as she watched Valkyrie drape her arms over Skulduggery's shoulders, planting a delicate kiss on his cheek. They all turned to each other and walked in for a group hug, grabbing a glass of wine each. One by one, they each retracted their facades, revealing their own faces. Dexter raised his glass.

"To Ghastly and Tanith." he said and Ghastly shook his head.

"No. To the Dead Men. Cheers." They all raised their glasses and drunk the wine that filled them.

**~Hi guys, sorry this one's a bit short, but it is a one off I guess! I hope you enjoyed it. New Ghanith fanfic on the way soon. Bye!~**


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